System of generating and distributing power



P. I. RENN OLDS.

SYSTEM OF GENERATING AND DISTRIBUTING POWER.

/ -APPI.|CATION FILED MAY21. m9.

1,333,444. Patented Mar. 9,1920.

INVENTOR,

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ATTORNEY PM%% @Wa,

PHILIP J. nEN oLns/or NEW YORK, NY.

SYSTEM or onNEn 'riiIG- ivn nisrninurnvc POWER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patehtd lIa'r, 9, 192() Application filed ma 27, 1919. Serial 170,300,086,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known-that I,"PHILIP J. a citizen of the United States, and aresident have invented a new and useful Improvement in Systems ofGenerating and Distributing Power, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved systeIn for generating and distributing power or energy for commerclal purposes, and the object of my invention is to produce a system or method. by which the force of the tides can be utilized to generate power in 1 large units and greatquantities and distribute it economically andpractically. to a commercial center. The distributionwould most naturally be in the form of electrical energy. It is a well known fact that the time of tidal changes varies considerably with comparatively slight changes of latitude, and that the time of such changes. vanes also 1n localities not very far removed from each otherbecause of the conas possible to the center of distribution, an-

formation of the coast. Frequently there will be a change of two hours inthetime of the tide in places not more than fifteenor twenty miles north or south of each other.

An object of invention is to take advantage of this provision of nature and 10-, ,cate a series of tidal power plants within a practical distance of a commercial center,

and have the several plants supply power to this center.

of supplying the power needed for the cen ter where it is to be distributed, or at least" each plant would make a substantial part of the power required. be located at points where nature wouldjenable them to be conveniently placed,and I would have one plant, for instance, as nearly other fifteen or twenty miles, more or less, north of the first plant, and place another one as far south of the first mentioned plant.

It is understood, of course, that in tidal water power plants there is a period of about two hours when the plant cannot work effectively, this being at substantially the change of tide. By having .the plants located as arranged, however, one would supply the power for a certain period, and'when' this plant became inactive, another one or 5 two "or more, according to circumstances,

RENNOLDS,

. tion. of the city, county, and State of New York,

In carrying out this idea I would have each plant. practically capable Such plants would each plant distribute its. power economically as generated, while the commercial center,

would'have a constant and adequate supply.

This will be better understood from the description'which follows. Reference is to be had to the accompanywould'supply the power until the first mentioned plant was again in effective opera-- 7 Thus Iv dispense with the expensive and uneconomic storage of power, but have I ing drawing forming a part of thisspecification, in which similar reference characters 0 indicate corresponding parts in the view.

The view is a diagrammatic view illustrating how a system embracing three plants could be economically arranged.

. In the drawing A represents one power" plant, B another, and C a third. -The plant A is located at convenient point some distance south of the center D where the power is to be utillzed, the plant B 1s located practically at the center or as nearly thereto as it can be conveniently, while the third plant C isfarther north. In this application I lay no stress on the fo-rmof the power plant so long as it'is a tidal vwaterpower plant. A

power. plant such as shown in'my application for Letters Patent of the United States No. 300,085, filed May 2-7, 1919, can be used toadvantage. In such a plant I have a series of water wheels. 10 arranged one be-- hind the other in a raceway connecting the source of tide or sea 11- with a basin 12, and the water wheels are swung backward and forward with the ebb and flow of the tide, A second power plant lO is arranged at B and connects with a second basin 13, while a third would be arranged as shown at 10, and would work in connection with a basin 14. A su table power house 15, 15, or 15 would be arranged at each plant, and feed lines 16 would connectthe several power houses'and also distribute the energy through the section'D. I have not gone'into detail with any circuits because this is all well understood and the view is matic.

It will be seen 'from the diagram and the description that the plants might work simulsimply diagramtaneou'sly, but the period at which each would be inactive would. vary considerably,

1 and usually there would be about two hours difference in the tide turn between A- and B, and also between B and CI, Therefore, when the power plant at A isinactive, the plants B and C would be supplying energy for the section D, and when. the plant at B is illactive energy would be supplied from the plant A or C, or both. Likewise when vC is inactive the other power plants would supply the energy. Thus'it will be seen that I provide a thoroughly practical way of establishing a system on a very large scale by which an entire community could be provided with power at nominal'expeuse and without the necessity of any storage system.

I have not gone into the details of the" plants because obviously these can be varied,

and the system of converting the water power into other forms of usable energy can be varied indefinitely without affecting the invention' Also it will be seen that so long'as a plurality'ofplants are provided for a given section there can be a greater or less number of these without afl'ecting the invention the principal thing being to utihas the flow of the tide for generating large units ofpower, and to arrange these plants atdiflerent tidal points sothat a constant supply can be. had from some one ofthe plants which can bedrawn on at a given centeror its vlclnity.

I claim y l. A system of power generation and dis- Qtribution comprising a plurality of tidal water powers located at points spaced apart and having dilferent tidal times, and means 7 for distributing the energy of said plants to a common territory, whereby one plant will supplysaid territory while another plant may be inactive.

2. A system of generatlng'and dlstribut- 'ing power to a given territory, comprising a plurality of tide-water power stations,

7 each adapted to supply power to a given teri-itory, said stations being located at points 7 requirements of the territory thereby insuring a constant supply.

PHILIP J. RENNOLDS.

" WVitnesses: v p 7 WARREN B. IIUTCI-IINSON, M. G. ODoNNn L. 

